Choosing a Major Planning Your Future

Choosing a Major
Planning Your Future
Some misperceptions about majors
1. The best way to find out about a major is to take
courses in it.
2. I should get my GE’s out of the way first.
3. Picking a major and picking a career are the same
thing.
4. Choosing one major means I have to give up all
others.
5. My major will determine what I do for the rest of
my life.
1. Take courses in it
(um, not required)
• An introductory course usually will NOT give you a
good idea of what the major is like – it is often too
general
• Sometimes you can’t get into ‘major’ courses until
your junior year
• If you use this technique, your ‘process of elimination’ will take too long
- - - - - Look through the required textbooks, read the course
description, ask questions of the department
2. Finish GE’s first
(please don’t)
• You could complete all the GE courses for one major
and find out that some of them won’t count for
other majors
• If you end up choosing a challenging major and you
have already completed your GE’s, your schedule will
be comprised of major classes only, and that can be a
heavy load
- - - - - Mix up your class schedule so that you are taking a
variety of courses
3. Pick a major, pick a career
(not really)
• Except for very specialized professional majors (like
nursing, engineering, social work and nutrition)
choosing a major does not limit you to just one career
choice
• Some careers, like law and medicine, do not require
that the undergrad degree be in a particular major
- - - - - The former head of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, did
not major in economics, he majored in music! Sometimes
it’s enough to get a good, well-rounded education, and the
talented and motivated will take it from there!
4. Choosing one major excludes all others
(not even)
• You can combine interests by undertaking a double
major
• You can minor in something
• You can get a certificate in something else
• You can take classes just because you are interested –
not because you plan a career in it!
- - - - - It’s not unusual for students to change their majors,
sometimes more than once! Just be aware that the
longer it takes for you to decide on a major, the
longer you will be in school(and paying tuition).
5. My major – my life
(probably not)
• The typical American has at least 3 different careers in
his/her lifetime (and 15 +jobs!) It is likely that not all
of those careers or jobs necessarily relate directly to
the college major.
• Some majors (Philosophy and Theatre come to mind)
don’t relate to many careers per se, BUT the skills
acquired (critical thinking, effective communication)
can be applied to many career fields
- - - - - Choosing your major is an important decision, but it is
not absolutely crucial to your future success.
Reasons for choosing a major
The Wrong Reasons
• “My parents want me to
study this.”
• “My friends are in this
major.”
• “This major will lead to a
career in which I’ll make
buckets of money.”
• “Frankly, I’m too lazy to
research this, so I’ll just
choose something!”
The Right Reasons
• “I really love studying this
field – in fact, I even read
about it in my spare time.”
• “Pursuing this major seems
right to me – I feel that it is
a part of who I am.”
• “I have many interests, but
after doing my research, I
think this is the best major
for me.”
How do I choose a major?
Do a self-analysis
Do your career research
Self-Analysis
•
•
•
•
Interests
Personality
Skills
Values
Interests
(those things you love doing)
The Strong Interest Inventory (SSI) test
divides workers into 6 categories,
called the
RIASEC
scale.
• Realistic “doers” have mechanical
&/or athletic abilities; enjoy
building; prefer concrete
problems & working outdoors
• Investigative “thinkers” are
people who love analyzing things:
they observe, learn, evaluate,
solve problems. Prefer to work
alone, are often inventive.
• Artistic people are the “creators”
with innovative or intuitional
abilities. Like unstructured
situations, use their imagination,
need to express themselves, are
often emotional & sensitive.
• Social people are the “helpers:”
they like to train, assist, inform &
cure others. Like working in
groups, have good
communication skills, are friendly
& empathetic.
Interests
(those things you love doing)
• Enterprising people are
“persuaders” who enjoy
influencing, managing & leading
others, often for economic gain.
Energetic, ambitious: often into
status & power.
• Conventional people are the
“organizers” who like working
with data & details; have clerical
& numerical abilities, are efficient
& dependable.
Most people see themselves in
2 or 3 of these different
interest categories.
Personality
(the way you’ve always been – since birth!)
• The Myers-Briggs test (MBTI
-available to all students)
categorizes test-takers into
one of 16 personality types.
• The major components of
personality include these
dynamics:
• Are you an introvert or an
extrovert?
• Are you realistic, working in the
‘here & now,” or are you able to
see ‘the big picture’ and come up
with creative ideas?
• Do you make logical, analytical
decisions, or are you often
influenced by feelings?
• Do you prefer a planned &
orderly way of doing things, or do
you like to be spontaneous &
flexible?
Skills
(those things you’re good at)
• Skills & interests may
overlap, because things you
are good at are usually
enjoyable.
• Skills are talents. They are
not necessarily innate.
They can be learned,
acquired or improved with
practice.
More on skills
Types of skills
1. Self-management skills. These are
personal traits or qualities, like:
how you get along w/others
how you adapt to an environment
how you respond to authority
how you manage & maintain
yourself
2.
Function skills: things you do.
Can you fix things, can you write
well, can you organize an event?
These skills can be used in a
number of different careers.
3.
Work-content skills require training
in a particular field. Examples:
taking blood samples, throwing a
curveball, creating a website,
cooking an elaborate dinner.
Another way of looking at skills –
3 major groups of skills
• PEOPLE skills (serving, helping, speaking, taking
instructions, supervising, negotiating, mentoring)
• DATA skills (comparing, compiling, computing,
analyzing, coordinating, innovating, synthesizing)
• THINGS skills (handling, tending, setting up,
manipulating, operating, controlling)
What do you value?
Values are developed
early in life and are motivators
that indicate what is
important to you.
• Personal & family values
• Cultural values
• Economic values
Career Research
• Research Resources
• Informational
Interviews
• Job Shadowing,
Volunteering, Practical
Work Experience
Research Resources
Books
Available in the CDC library, as well
as local libraries:
• The Encyclopedia of Careers &
Vocational Guidance (4 volumes)
• Guide to College Majors
• Book of College Majors
• Various major-specific titles
Online
• “What can I do with this
major?” is on the CDC
website main page
• www.bls.gov/oco awesome site for info on
hundreds of careers
• Choices – available on the
desktops in the CDC
Informational Interviews
• Who knows careers better
than the people working in
them?
Interview
those people!
•
•
•
Start by asking family, friends,
alumni, acquaintances who are
working in a field of interest to you.
Preferably in person, speak to them
about their career. You are
interviewing for information, not a
job.
For suggested interview questions,
go to:
www.calstatela.edu/univ/cdc/doc/infointer
views.pdf
Q&A
Job Shadowing, Volunteering
• Job shadowing allows you
to observe professionals on
the job and get insight into
the practical side of a
particular career.
• The people who grant you
informational interviews
may be willing to let you
shadow them.
• Certain employers, like
hospitals, schools, police
departments and non-profit
organizations are often
happy to have volunteers.
Volunteering gets you
exposed to different work
environments.
Practical Work Experience
•
Every job is a learning experience no matter what your job is, or
whether or not it relates to fields
you might want to study.
WHY?
If nothing else, it might tell you
what kind of work you’d never want
to do professionally. But more
importantly, it gets you in a real
work environment in which you can
observe your bosses, study the
business, and show personal
responsibility……It’s also something
to put on your resume!
SUMMARY
• Reflect on your interests, skills,
personality and values
• Consider taking the MBTI and SSI
test assessments
• Do your research on majors and
careers using both library and online
resources
• Conduct some informational
interviews, job shadow, volunteer, &
get some practical work experience
• Understand that choosing a major
and, subsequently, a career, is an
ongoing process that may involve
‘do-overs’
• Choose a major for the right reasons
For counseling, testing, free workshops &
other career-related action, visit us!
(323)343-3237
www.calstatela.edu/careercenter
CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER
ASPIRE – ACT - ACHIEVE